Big Three Boost US Market Share

Big Three Boost US Market Share

Article excerpt

A BIG THREE carmaker can claim victory in one of the toughest
battles of the year. But the latest numbers show 1992 had little
for anyone in the auto industry to cheer about.

Ford Motor Company did win the right to brag about making the
best-selling passenger car in the country - the first time in four
years a domestic model captured the top spot. Ford sold 409,751
Taurus midsized sedans in 1992, beating out Honda Motor Company's
Accord. Honda sold 393,477 Accords, losing the best-seller title it
had held for the previous three years.
`That's good for Ford'

"It means we're making products the American public likes. And I
think that's good for Ford," says Ford general manager Ross Roberts.

The American public will hear a lot about the victory in the
coming weeks. At a press conference in Detroit Wednesday, Mr.
Roberts showed one in a series of commercials which will focus on
Ford's sales leadership.

Indeed, the two carmakers fought their battle with significant
amounts of cash. Industry analysts estimate Ford spent $50 million
on rebates and other incentives to lure customers into its
showrooms. Buyers could ink a two-year lease on a fully equipped
Taurus sedan for $248 a month plus a $1,500 downpayment. With a
sticker price of $18,600, that same car normally carries a monthly
lease payment of $320.

"Every day on the fax they sent over something saying `Sell
Taurus. Sell Taurus,' " says Scott Runyan, general manager of Crown
Ford, in Roswell, Ga. "This is probably the strongest effort I've
seen for one car line."

Other analysts maintain the victory will pay off for Ford.

"A lot of people care about who is No. 1," says David Cole,
director of the University of Michigan's Office for the Study of
Automotive Transportation. "It symbolizes the comeback of the
American car company. American products are far more competitive
than they were a few years ago, when the Japanese had superior
quality and fit-and-finish. …